Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, The

Aroview: Firing on all imaginative cylinders, dir. Terry Gilliam delivers what is possibly his magnum opus - an original, mind-bending fantasy fable centred around an "imaginarium" run by a quirky troupe of travelling players and mystics.

The film had to be completed after the untimely death of Heath Ledger, and as a result it's a triumph of film-making resourcefulness - an even sweeter achievement for a director renowned for his production disasters and ambitious ideas that occasionally exceed his grasp. Aided by a superb cast (esp. Christopher Plummer, and Tom Waits as the devil himself), it's a delectably gaudy romp that's suitable for most of the family - give or take a hanging or two.

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